Can anyone help me with car seat.

[Deleted]

I am confused apparently my car doesn't have a latch thingy for car seats, we are taking a trip next week and need the car seat. Is there a special car seat I need to get. I would prefer to get one that grows as opposed to the infant one she has now because I will need one to stay here anyway.

[The Captain]

If your car is older your dealership may have an adapter available for your model.  Give them a call.


As an alternative you should still be able to use the seat belt to secure the seat (yes, I know it's a hassle).  In that case you may as well just install a seat in the car and leave it there.

www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2013/08/new-latch-car-seat-rules/index.htm

As far as getting a seat that "grows" with the baby - not recommended.  You want the right size seat for the child to offer the most protection.

This may help.

www.safercar.gov/parents/RightFit.htm

[econstudent]

You don't need the LATCH system to install the car seat. I'm pretty sure that every car seat works with the seat belt. 

As for a seat that grows with the baby, you can get a convertible seat. My car seat starts at 5 pounds and can rear face through 40 pounds, and go forward facing through 70 pounds. It's a Britax Marathon 70. There are some less expensive convertible seats on the market too. 

[Deleted]

It would help it I even knew what I was looking at !!! So you do not recommend getting an infant/toddler seat, that I should get a rear facing?

[Deleted]

Yeah, that's what I meant Econ. She has a rear facing right now and would need to get another one. I would like to get one that is from 5 pounds and up, an all in one.
What is your car seat scon.  DUH I see you mentioned it.


Holy poop that's expensive.

[Deleted]

community.babycenter.com/post/a28801135/very_important_-_car_seat_recall  This was 2011, are they okay now.

[swamp]

Dec 30, 2013 19:10:05 GMT -5 nutty said:

It would help it I even knew what I was looking at !!! So you do not recommend getting an infant/toddler seat, that I should get a rear facing?

Yes. Right now the baby should still be in the "baby in a bucket" carrier with the base that stays in the car. 

Go to the police station or fire station. They usually have someone who is certified in car seat installation. Install it. Leave it there. 

[Deleted]

HMM she has a base with detachable seat right now that is in DD car. His uncle is a paramedic at a firestation so he installed it, I wonder if I can use hers. I am just not sure how much I will use a specific rear facing but I know will be having her a lot at about 6 months.

[Deleted]

Wait, they have an extra base for daddy's car, will I be able to put that in my car without the latch, oh this is all so confusing to me.

[swamp]

Dec 30, 2013 19:17:57 GMT -5 nutty said:

Wait, they have an extra base for daddy's car, will I be able to put that in my car without the latch, oh this is all so confusing to me.

Yes. 

Go get a base. It's like $30. 

[raeoflyte]

We don't have the latch system in our car, and were told we were the only person that the car seat installer had that didn't need to be adjusted. Unless you're driving the baby a lot I'd just use your daughter's seat for the trip.

Sent from my ADR6410LVW using proboards

[Malarky]

Dec 30, 2013 19:14:33 GMT -5 swamp said:

Dec 30, 2013 19:10:05 GMT -5 nutty said:

It would help it I even knew what I was looking at !!! So you do not recommend getting an infant/toddler seat, that I should get a rear facing?

Yes. Right now the baby should still be in the "baby in a bucket" carrier with the base that stays in the car. 

Go to the police station or fire station. They usually have someone who is certified in car seat installation. Install it. Leave it there. 

So glad my kids are old.

Of course they never grew up in the back of a pickup on 495....

Standing up...

[Deleted]

Ok, so I can put the extra base in and just use the car seat she has now. That would be good because I won't be shuttling her around too much until she is older so wanted to hang of and get one for 6 months and up, or what ever size that would be.

[Deleted]

Dec 30, 2013 19:10:05 GMT -5 nutty said:

It would help it I even knew what I was looking at !!! So you do not recommend getting an infant/toddler seat, that I should get a rear facing?

baby will need to be rearfacing for a minimum of a year but the current recommendation is 2 years...infant only bucket usually fits babies better then then go to a rearfacing convertible (rearfacing to x pounds then forward facing to y pounds - with the additional requirements to determine if outgrown).....the advantage to the non-bucket rearfacing is that the seat can be more upright and therefore take up less room in the backseat.

[moneymaven]

DS is small. I just turned his seat forward facing at 32 months old.

[Deleted]

Dec 30, 2013 22:45:59 GMT -5 moneymaven said:

DS is small. I just turned his seat forward facing at 32 months old.

you're right, I should have said - rearfacing as long as possible, to the limits of the seat.  I just wanted to dispel the notion of a year (and I'm guessing that the one year timeframe isn't even talked about anymore, that everyone talks about 2 years minimum).

[muttleynfelix]

As long as the seat belts in your car lock out, then installing it with a seatbelt is no problem.  My MILs car is old enough that the back seat belts didn't lock out, so DH had to develop a system so that the car seat was secure in the car.  I have no idea how he did it.  If the baby is currently in a bucket seat, just buy an extra base for your car. Our secondary car seat for rear facing is a Safety First Avenue that I spent $60 on.  I like as much of not more than our Britax Boulevard.  But not all cheaper car seats are created equal.  We bought DS 2 new car seats this year and the cheaper one is a PITA.  It is difficult to tighten evenly and the buckle is difficult to latch.

[Deleted]

Dec 31, 2013 9:08:14 GMT -5 muttleynfelix said:

As long as the seat belts in your car lock out, then installing it with a seatbelt is no problem.  My MILs car is old enough that the back seat belts didn't lock out, so DH had to develop a system so that the car seat was secure in the car.  I have no idea how he did it.  If the baby is currently in a bucket seat, just buy an extra base for your car. Our secondary car seat for rear facing is a Safety First Avenue that I spent $60 on.  I like as much of not more than our Britax Boulevard.  But not all cheaper car seats are created equal.  We bought DS 2 new car seats this year and the cheaper one is a PITA.  It is difficult to tighten evenly and the buckle is difficult to latch.

They have those clip things that go on the seatbelt that attaches the shoulder belt to the lap belt so it can't slide and it's essentially locked.  They're a PIA to get on so that everything is tight, but once it's in you just vow to never take that car seat out until you're done with it.  LOL 

[giramomma]

Dec 31, 2013 8:05:02 GMT -5 @singlemominmd said:

Dec 30, 2013 22:45:59 GMT -5 moneymaven said:

DS is small. I just turned his seat forward facing at 32 months old.

you're right, I should have said - rearfacing as long as possible, to the limits of the seat.  I just wanted to dispel the notion of a year (and I'm guessing that the one year timeframe isn't even talked about anymore, that everyone talks about 2 years minimum).

With our latest baby, the dr was pushing two years. We made it to about 18 months. Then LO kept getting car sick. There was something about the angle and the sun in her eyes. 

[swamp]

My kids are mutants. They're huge. I'm lucky I could get to 1 year with the rear facing seat.

[Deleted]

Dec 31, 2013 9:33:52 GMT -5 swamp said:

My kids are mutants. They're huge. I'm lucky I could get to 1 year with the rear facing seat.

Same here.  I think I made it to 15 months with older son, but younger one it was right around his first birthday.

[Deleted]

Dec 31, 2013 9:33:52 GMT -5 swamp said:

My kids are mutants. They're huge. I'm lucky I could get to 1 year with the rear facing seat.

well I think now that have seats that rearface to 40 pounds so I can't imagine someone not being able to make it to one year (I had a 10 pound baby, he wasn't anywhere close to 40 pounds at a year).

[swamp]

Dec 31, 2013 9:39:15 GMT -5 @singlemominmd said:

Dec 31, 2013 9:33:52 GMT -5 swamp said:

My kids are mutants. They're huge. I'm lucky I could get to 1 year with the rear facing seat.

well I think now that have seats that rearface to 40 pounds so I can't imagine someone not being able to make it to one year (I had a 10 pound baby, he wasn't anywhere close to 40 pounds at a year).

Must have been the seat. But both my kids were over 30 pounds at 1 year.

[Deleted]

Dec 31, 2013 9:48:38 GMT -5 swamp said:

Dec 31, 2013 9:39:15 GMT -5 @singlemominmd said:

well I think now that have seats that rearface to 40 pounds so I can't imagine someone not being able to make it to one year (I had a 10 pound baby, he wasn't anywhere close to 40 pounds at a year).

Must have been the seat. But both my kids were over 30 pounds at 1 year.

also as the years go by, they are making seats that rearface longer and longer....so what was the limit just 5 years or so ago, is no longer the case.

[swamp]

Dec 31, 2013 9:52:06 GMT -5 @singlemominmd said:

Dec 31, 2013 9:48:38 GMT -5 swamp said:

Must have been the seat. But both my kids were over 30 pounds at 1 year.

also as the years go by, they are making seats that rearface longer and longer....so what was the limit just 5 years or so ago, is no longer the case.

Since both my kids are over 5, that would make sense.

I felt so bad for them, squished in there.......

[Deleted]

My kids were just so tall.  My 3 year old is 3 foot 7 already.  He had his legs all bunched up against the seat back when rear facing.

[Deleted]

Dec 31, 2013 10:20:58 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

My kids were just so tall.  My 3 year old is 3 foot 7 already.  He had his legs all bunched up against the seat back when rear facing.

and?  wouldn't broken legs (of which there has never been a documented case (at least from years ago when I was more into carseat safety)) be preferable to a broken neck?  also, most kids are perfectly fine with their legs like that, it's the parents that think it's a problem.

[Deleted]

Dec 31, 2013 10:30:43 GMT -5 @singlemominmd said:

Dec 31, 2013 10:20:58 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

My kids were just so tall.  My 3 year old is 3 foot 7 already.  He had his legs all bunched up against the seat back when rear facing.

and?  wouldn't broken legs (of which there has never been a documented case (at least from years ago when I was more into carseat safety)) be preferable to a broken neck?  also, most kids are perfectly fine with their legs like that, it's the parents that think it's a problem.

It actually is a problem with younger son.  He has hip and knee issues and may be looking at surgery and braces.  He does complain of knee pain a lot, so I accommodate him whenever possible.  Older son is 11 and pretty much everyone turned them at a year back then. 

[Deleted]

I turned both of mine at a year.  Things are different these days, but if it is only a recommendation and not a law then I think it is up to the parent to determine what is best for their child.

[Sam_2.0]

All car seats have to pass the same safety tests, so really it's more about preference. There are seats that are more user-friendly though. But yes, it is definitely recommended to get an infant carrier, then a rf/ff seat for once they are big enough to sit up (we are using Cosco Sceneras from Walmart - $40), and then they will need a high-back booster and then a regular booster maybe.

We have used our Sceneras since Aly was about a year old, but she was always a little bitty thing. She was maybe 16lbs then when we moved her over. They can rear-face up to 36" I believe so she just turned around a couple weeks ago at 2.5. Keep them RF as long as the kid is under the height/weight limit for RF. Better to smash their legs than to snap their necks!